Moment
by Sindel
Summary: At different points of their lives, Cassandra and Link knew they were meant to be. Happy Birthday, SSJ4 Jim! oneshot


This is for my friend, SSJ4 Jim because today is his 20th birthday! Yay! Go Jim! I've known you for what…2 years now?

Disclaimer: Namco and Nintendo.

XXX

"Hey, you can't treat me like that!" A red-faced 8-year old girl snapped at a 9-year old boy sitting on a log playing music, "I'm a girl!"

The boy scrunched up his face, wrinkling his nose at her comment, "I can so! You're not a girl! You're just a bossy, mean little baby!" He retorted back, putting back his instrument.

"I'm not a baby! You're the baby!" Cassandra Alexandra accused him, jabbing a finger at him.

"You're the baby! You always run around and cry when you don't get what you want!" He shot back at her, hopping off the log and glaring at her. His little green hat slid off his head slightly, making him rearrange it.

"I don't cry!" Cassandra insisted, "You're the baby and a funny baby at that because your stupid hat is too big to fit over your dumb head! Linky the baby!"

Link scowled, "Cassie Cassie, always crying!"  
"Linky Linky, clothes too big!" Cassandra sang in a taunting tone.

"My clothes are not to big!"  
"I don't always cry!"

The two glared at each other, hands on their hips, neither one of them ready to give up the battle. Their blue eyes staring each other down like opponents in a ring, trying to smash each other's confidence.

Cassandra then immediately spotted her older sister Sophitia in the distance, assuming her one and only strategy to win against Link.

Scrunching up her face, she turned on her tears to fill her innocent blue eyes to the brim.

"You're a big meanie!" She cried out loudly in order for her to hear, hearing her sister rush over there to comfort Cassandra.

Link, knowing that Cassandra just defeated him, scowled, seeing behind her crocodile tears and false mask of sadness.

"You're faking it." He accused her, crossing his arms and waiting for Sophitia to come here and threaten to beat him up.

Cassandra flashed him a secret mischievous smile before resuming her acting, embraced by Sophitia.

"What's wrong, Cassie? Huh? Tell Big Sis what's wrong." Sophitia soothed her, ignorant of her sister's falseness.

"sniff Link…Link was being mean! He-he called me a cry-baby!" Cassandra sobbed out, making Link grunt in anger and annoyance.

Sophitia tightly hugged her, "Oh Cassie, you're not a cry-baby. Link is just a mean little boy."

"Hey!" Link interrupted, "I'm not a-!"

"Shut up, can't you see that you made my sister cry?! You KNOW how sensitive she is!" Sophitia snapped at him, making him step back a little in fear at her tone of voice, "How could you! She's just a year younger than you! You oughta be ashamed! Come on, Cassie, we're going home and you're never playing with this horrendous boy again!"

Sophitia pulled her away, making Link frown in disgust at Cassandra's manipulation of her older sister. Cassandra smiled at him, sticking out her tongue at him before turning back around.

They left Link there, alone and watching the path they took out of there.

At that moment, Link knew he was going to marry that girl.

XXX

_5 years later_

"You're kidding. Link is back?" 13-year-old Cassandra said as she rolled the dough between her fingers, lazily sitting back in her wooden chair.

"Yeah, he's back. He looks different than he used to," Sophitia absent-mindedly answered, "Ugh. Every time I think of that boy making you cry all the time, I simply just want to-!"

Cassandra secretly smiled to herself-the good old days.

"I bet he's grown-up now," She said out loud, "Is he?"

"I'd say. But nothing could ever make that mean little boy look good in any light…" Her sister stated, "I don't care who he fought or where, boys never change."

The younger Grecian slid off her chair, picking up her coat, "Sophie, I'm just going to take a walk. I'll be back before dinner."

XXX

14-year-old Link put down his sword, lying down on the bed and stretching out. Letting out a sigh of content, he drowsily let himself fall into sleep.

"Hey, let me in!" A petite voice demanded through the door, jolting him out of sleep. Grumbling, he answered the door.

He slightly frowned at the sight of his old childhood friend-Cassandra Alexandra.

"Well well, no sister around…I guess you're not going to pull the scam again…" Link stated, making her irked.

"I gave that up years ago. So are you going to let me in or let me catch a cold?" Cassandra asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Sighing, the elf warrior let her in, looking at her a little closer.

Her face was thinner than it was as a child, her blue eyes still shining as always. Her body was a little out of proportion, trying to fill her tiny frame out. Her hair hung around her ears like a golden harp.

Cassandra snatched a good look at him too.

Link was more muscular, not quite as thin or as lanky as he was before. His light blonde hair was still unkempt as always and he fit a little more into his clothes than he used to. The blue eyes were still the same blue eyes that held such quiet and polite etiquette but a little bit of determination.

Clicking her tongue, she sat on the bed, "Sophie was right, you have grown up a little."

Link smiled slightly, taking a chair across the room facing her, "You look a little more mature too…but I bet you'd whip out those fake tears in a heartbeat."

"I told you Link, that's not my style anymore. Now I just beat people up," Cassandra repeated, grinning, "You look like a fighter too. What's your style?"

"Self-taught." Link answered calmly.

"Self-taught?" Cassandra echoed, "Why, you can't self-teach anything! My style is Athenian broadsword. My sister is teaching me but I'm starting to learn a few moves without her."

"You haven't changed much-always the arrogant, petty, one-upping girl you are." Link said, watching her face contort into anger.

"Watch it, Linky. I was able to beat you before, I can beat you now." Cassandra threatened, seeing him stifle a laugh.

"Sure thing, Princess. Why don't you just go out and beat someone who is fooled by your acting and your threatening attitude?" The elf caustically told her, pointing to the door.

"You just can't admit that I'm better than you!" Cassandra stood up, "You really can't!"

"You're asking me to be afraid of you and to believe you when you cry. Well, Cassie, I'm not afraid of you. I know who you are. You're just a over-confident little girl." Link said, untouched by her accusations.

Shaking her head, she started to leave, "Go grow up, Linky. You'll always be the baby."

"You're sweet, you really are," Link dryly said, "One more thing, Cassie…"

She turned around, about ready to open the door, "What?"

Link winked at her and blew a kiss. Cassandra growled, opening the door and slamming it behind her before sinking into the ground.

At that moment, Cassandra knew she was going to marry that boy.

XXX

_7 years later_

"A parting kiss shall suffice, my love." Cassandra recited her line, holding out her cheek to her 'lover' in a very affectionate manner. She felt his wet kiss on her cheek, pulling away.

"Sweet nymph, won't you please stay with me to be my bride?" The male actor bowed to her.

_Yes, Link, I will marry you._

"No, it shall not be," Cassandra said, "For in the wisdom of the gods, I cannot break their vows."

XXX

Cassandra slipped into her dressing tent after the play, sighing. Another performance well done and this week, Cassandra would have money to show.

The wooden stage she walked upon for the Grecian audience, the ring she fought for the revenge of the Greeks…such paradises only known to man.

"You know," A soft voice interrupted her, "I always knew acting was your true skill."

The woman blinked a little in recognition of the guest before resuming a second later in a mocking tone, "Come to see me perform or fight, Link?"

"Neither. I've seen you perform and I've seen you fight and quite frankly, neither of them are any good," Link stepped into her tent, "So I would waste money."  
"Your opinion against the entire Grecian people," Cassandra muttered, "What do you want?"

"I heard you were a traveling actor. Had to see if that was so," The warrior explained, "That's all. You don't seem to get paid much."

"I do it for the arts and appreciation of the gods, not for money." Cassandra said, taking off her earrings.

"So fighting is what, a hobby?" Link snickered.

"You could say that." Cassandra agreed, knowing he was trying to trick her.

Link moved towards her, "You've changed in the last 7 years."  
"You haven't." She retorted, standing up.

Link finally saw her.

She beautifully filled her frame wonderfully, tall and gliding. Her slender arms hung by her sides and her eyes, still as perfect and innocent as before, glinting with pride.

Cassandra giggled because she knew that Link was looking at her and she couldn't stop looking at him.

He evened out so well; so mature, so strong. His golden hair was no more but instead a more handsomer, dirty blonde. His face showed years of discipline and hard work, stories etched into his cheeks. He fit his clothes well, showing his muscular frame and build.

Link felt his pulse quicken a little, "Cassandra, you're different."  
"You are too…" She mumbled, "People change."

There was a strong, long silence, one that could have stretched for miles on end. One that desperately wanted to be filled with a romantic interlude.

Link remembered her as a young child-bossy, rude and arrogant, always crying.

Cassandra remembered him as a lanky boy who always acted superior to her, who constantly thwarted her every move and was not fooled by her acting.

At that moment, they decided that they could not live without each other.

End

Whoa, this was kinda short. Eek. Not quite as good as I originally planned it…oh well. Happy Birthday Jim! Hope you had an excellent one!


End file.
